Two Moi University students have been reported dead.
The lifeless bodies of two students were discovered on Monday, November 4, after drowning in a quarry.
According to a fellow student who spoke with The Kenya Times, the bodies were retrieved from the quarry which had been abandoned around the university premises.
According to preliminary reports, the incident which occurred next to Oxford apartments, took place a day after another student was found dead at the quarry.
Also Read: Moi University Students Forced to Live in Dirty Hostels as Staff Boycotts Work
Moreover, the incident occurred hours after the university Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Isaac Kosgey announced the opening dates of the institution.
The institution had been closed indefinitely in October following the industrial action of staff and subsequent student unrest because of financial and operational challenges.
Kosgey ordered the students to report back to the institution on November 8, a decision that had been made after a consultative meeting with the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU).
At the same time, Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda Inyangala indicated that officials from the State Department would visit the institution on November 8.
Also Read: No Reopening in Sight as Moi University Issues Statement
The Woes of Moi University
The National Assembly Education Committee, led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, briefed lawmakers on the severe financial crisis facing Moi University.
Highlighting issues of financial mismanagement, insolvency, and an unsustainable wage bill, Melly noted that the university had been compelled to seek urgent financial support from the government.
During an October 18, 2024 session, he explained that the institution’s wage bill had surged to an unsustainable 88% of its total income.
“The university’s liabilities now surpass its assets, with pending bills amounting to Ksh7.9 billion. This indicates significant financial distress,” Melly stated to Parliament.
The National Treasury disbursed Ksh609 million to Moi University in October 2024, with an additional Ksh500 million expected by November 15, 2024.
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